Telangana bans analogue paneer for one year

The Telangana government has imposed a one-year statewide ban on the manufacture, processing, packing, storage, distribution, transportation, and sale of analogue, nondairy, or artificial paneer, effective September 10, 2026. The order, issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety under Section 302(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, was notified in the official gazette as Notification No. 807. The ban applies to any product prepared by replacing milk fat or milk solids with vegetable oil, vegetable fat, or other nondairy ingredients that is marketed or sold as paneer. The decision follows recent inspections by the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE), in coordination with Hyderabad City Police's HFAST, at 14 dairy and retail units. Officials found loose palm oil and glycerol monostearate being used to prepare paneer marketed as analogue. During the enforcement drive, authorities seized approximately one tonne of palm oil, 476 kg of glycerol monostearate, 1,760 packs of cooking cream, and 150 kg of skimmed milk powder. Since its launch, HFAST has registered over 180 cases and seized more than 1.5 tonnes of synthetic paneer.